Lost City - Ciudad Perdida Colombia

I had the best experience to Ciudad Perdida with Magic Tours. Everything was perfectly organized. Our guide, Jose Garcia, shared wonderful stories and made the group feel like a family. Chef Alex cooked delicious local dishes and made sure we ate enough. Sofia Moreno was also a great translator and brought great energy to the group. These people made the hike very special. Honestly a huge highlight of my trip! I am still reminiscing

My trek to the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) was an unforgettable experience — and a huge part of that was thanks to my incredible guide, Luis David. From the very beginning, Luis made me feel confident and well-prepared. His English is excellent, which made communication effortless and allowed him to share his deep knowledge in a really engaging way. He didn’t just guide me along the trail — he brought the entire journey to life. Luis has an impressive understanding of the trail, the surrounding nature, and the wildlife. Along the way, he pointed out things I would have completely missed and explained them with passion and clarity. His knowledge of the history of Ciudad Perdida and the indigenous communities living in the area added so much depth and meaning to the experience, it felt like I was not just hiking, but truly understanding the place. What really stood out was his personality. The trek can be physically demanding, especially in the heat and humidity, but Luis was always there to motivate, encourage, and support me. He has a great sense of humor and a very positive energy that keeps spirits high even during the toughest moments. If you’re planning to hike to Ciudad Perdida, I can’t recommend Luis David highly enough. He is professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about making your experience the best it can be. Thank you, Luis, for making this adventure so special!

I rated this as 5 star for the service: Magic Tour did a great job running this tour and for everything you get over three nights/four days (transportation, food, real beds, national park admission, a guide), the cost is incredibly reasonable. The beds were pretty comfortable and the food and hydration options were plenty. I had no issues with tummy upsets, although I tend to have an iron gullet anyway. But...this trek is definitely not for everyone. Unlike the Inca Trail (which I admittedly did over 10 years ago), this felt more about the destination and less about the journey. Don't get me wrong, it is quite a destination! But this is an in and out hike, so you see the same views twice. And while there are some stretches where the trail opens out to beautiful views, there are also long stretches where you have tall walls of dirt/mud (depending on the season) on either side. I started to feel almost claustrophobic at times, and I am not normally prone to claustropobia. The trail is, in many spots, rocky and uneven. Also, because there's so much up and down, it's not like the tail end of the hike is easier. Two members of our crew rented burros for the last day. I definitely thought about it but our guide talked me out of it with encouraging words (and the offer to carry my pack). I will note that you can pay extra for motorbikes to take you on the very first and very last bit, which is along a stretch of road that is mostly paved. I was 50/50 on the way in but opted for it because all the other members of the group did it. On the way back, a few members opted to walk but I joined the motorbike crew because I was exhausted. I know I won't ever do this trek again, but if I did it over, I would probably pay the extra money for a private guide just because I am an upper middle aged person in only medium okay shape and I felt bad sometimes when I felt like I was delaying the group. To be clear, no one in the group made me feel that way, but I was often (always?) the last one to arrive at a rest stop. I did train by doing time on the treadmill on full incline with my backpack, but I would have had to do way more keep up with everyone. With all that negative, here's the positive: Ciudad Perdida is beautiful. It's so remote that even though we were far from the only group, we didn't feel crowded at all. It's super cool to get there and to say you've done it. You don't have to camp--there are beds at all the camp sites with blankets and mosquito nets. You can get wifi at some campsites and I never had to fight to get an outlet to recharge my phone/camera batteries. I am glad I did it, and would recommend Magic Tour for anyone who is interested.